CHAPTER 1
Earth Controlled Space, Sector 39
Rydaria
2149
Heather Evans huddled on her narrow bed, one of six in the compact room. She pressed back into the corner and closed her eyes, willing the shadows to absorb her trembling body. The other beds also held young women, each as terrified as Heather. Their situation kept changing, but it only seemed to go from bad to worse.
Eagle Village was supposed to be the most secure of the three shifter compounds on Rydaria, so how had the wolves gotten inside? And the bunkhouse, the building in which the women were housed, sat in the middle of the village. They were surrounded by guards and automated surveillance, yet Heather and the others had been awakened by the unmistakable sounds of battle.
Was this the third or fourth time the human females had endured a brutal wolf attack? Five months of fear and hopelessness had blurred events together. And all Heather knew for sure was that she could never go home.
Animalistic growls intermixed with shouts and the rhythmic blast of energy weapons. Concussive thuds and crashes rattled the entire building even though the fight was taking place on the ground floor of the bunkhouse, directly below the bedrooms.
Safe. The word echoed through Heather’s mind, mocking her fear and helplessness. Safety was the one thing that had eluded her completely since coming to this primitive planet. She’d battled the elements, endured starvation and vengeful wolf shifters. All the while she’d harbored a damning secret, a secret that would likely end her life if it ever came to light.
The disturbance below intensified for several seconds then suddenly paused. Heather held perfectly still and slowly opened her eyes. She was afraid to move, afraid to breathe as she strained her ears, waiting for the inevitable sound of more fighting.
“I think the birds are winning,” Susan whispered, hope obvious in her hushed tone. Unshed tears gleamed in her dark eyes, and her lips trembled. “That’s good, isn’t it? We want the birds to win.”
Heather nodded, but she wasn’t sure which outcome would be better for her. The wolves were the most aggressive of the three hybrid shifter groups, but she had personal reasons for avoiding the eagles.
She’d worked at Nuevo Biotech, a massive research and development company. She’d been recruited right out of collegeand been assigned to the Griffin Project. She’d never heard of the program before she received her placement, but it was located on Nuevo’s off-world outpost, so the salary was nearly double what a similar position on Earth would have paid. Heather had been filled with excitement and gratitude when she arrived at the lunar complex, but her excitement didn’t last.
Two days after her arrival, Heather was led to an exam room by Dr. Leslie Jarrel, the team supervisor. Dr. Jarrel was an intensely serious woman in her late forties, with dishwater blonde hair and cold dark eyes. “You will not speak to the patients,” she said firmly. “These men are extremely dangerous and must be treated accordingly.”
Heather nodded, but curiosity and concern warred within her. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
“We need blood and tissue samples from this male. He has been restrained, so he cannot harm you, butdo notbelieve a word that comes out of his mouth. They’ll all lie to gain your sympathy.”
Trepidation washed over Heather in a sustained, icy wave. It was against the law to experiment on anyone without their permission. Even hardened criminals were afforded basic human rights. “Did he give permission for these procedures?”
Jarrel dismissed Heather’s concern with an impatient sweep of her hand. “All of these men volunteered for our program. Their sentences are being reduced by a factor of six. One month in our program equals six months they no longer have to spend in prison. They knew damn well what they were getting into. They complain and object, but we’ve come too far and invested too much to start over. They signed a contract giving us the right to perform these experiments. You must ignore the patient ifhe attempts to engage you.” The doctor’s expression hardened as she met Heather’s gaze. “You have immense potential. I personally approve each person that joins my team. I have every confidence that you can deal with the unique pressures of this program. Now, focus on your tasks and only your tasks. Failure to do so will result in your immediate dismissal. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Heather shuddered. Her life would have been far different if she listened to her inner voice that first week. She’d had misgivings from the start, but she chose to ignore them. She might not have known what the Griffin Project was when she arrived at the lunar complex, but she continued to work long after she knew the truth.
“Why won’t they just leave us alone?” Kylie whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
The question drew Heather back to the present, but she had no answer for her friend. Some people grew talkative when they were afraid. Heather turned inward, becoming reflective and silent.
“They can’t,” Susan replied just as softly. “They have no hope without us.”
As punishment for their illegal actions, the scientists who participated in the Griffin Project had been exiled to Rydaria and left at the mercy of the hybrids they created. It took Heather much too long to act, but she left Nuevo Biotech and reported the abuse. She’d been assured that her cooperation would keep her out of prison. When the case went to trial, however, Heather had been exiled just like everyone else.
“Even if the wolves win, we’ll be okay.” Kylie didn’t sound like she believed her own words. “They captured us before and no one was harmed.”
Heather and Susan exchanged disbelieving looks. They’d been terrified, literally fearing for their lives, the entire time they were at the mercy of the wolves. Wolf hybrids had slaughtered nearly all the male scientists within a few weeks of their arrival on Rydaria, but the females were too valuable to kill. All but a handful of hybrids were male; virile, sexually aggressive males in the prime of life. Their genome had been augmented with the DNA of apex predators, which made them even more savage. An explosive tracking device ensured that they could never leave the planet, so their only hope was to build a future on Rydaria. And a future required mates and eventually children.
After the first wolf attack, it had been obvious that the human females would die without hybrid intervention, so the lion shifters offered them a deal. In exchange for protection and provisions, each female must mate with a small group of hybrid males. Only those indirectly involved in the Griffin Project were eligible for the alliance. Heather had direct interaction with hybrids, so she had not been allowed inside the feline village. That was why she’d been captured during the second wolf attack.
Heather, along with eighteen other females, spent the next two weeks as captives of the wolves. Then the vicious village alpha had been overthrown, so Heather and her friends were moved to a mountain stronghold. She’d been terrified, but no one had touched her during her unwilling stay with the wolves.
Heather had been at the mountain stronghold for three days when a group of raptor shifters rescued the human females and brought them to Eagle Village. Of the three hybrid groups, the raptors were most accommodating. Like the cats, the raptorhybrids were looking for mates, but they had no interest in unwilling females. They insisted that the females were no longer prisoners and courting was entirely voluntary. Anyone wanting to return to the feline village would be allowed to do so. Their only stipulation was that the females remain in Eagle Village for one month before making their final decision.
Heather understood why her friends were responding to the raptors, but she was terrified that she’d encounter one of the hybrids she’d interacted with back on Earth. She stayed close to the bunkhouse and impatiently waited out the mandatory month.
A sharp scream rent the air, and Heather pressed her hands over her ears. The fighting seemed to come in waves of aggression. The sounds would intensify, then ebb, making them think the battle was over.
